19tH .

PAI~LlAlVIENT OF NEvV SOUTil WALES.

REPORT OF THE

TRUSTEES OF THE

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

FOR THE Y'EAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1950.

*

Orderecl to be prin/e(l, 3 1.l1a.y, 1951.

W holl!J Sf>l 111> and Jlrinle<l in Au.slmlia by

A. H. PETTIFER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, SYDNEY ,

1951. *77681 1951--79 [9d.J

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

:FOR THE YEAR l!.:NDED 30Trr J UNP:, 1900.

1'o His Ex~.:clleuc~· the Gu,·ct·not·,--

The Tru:rtccs of the • \ ustral ian 'Muscu Ill lHn·c tlw honour to submit to Your Excellenr,,· their ninct~··sixth

Annunl Ucport for the ~·c:u· <'mling 30tla .Junr, 1\)50.

1. Trustees.

1u IJcccm1Jel'1 ]94!J, :\lr . JJ. £\. ~Ja t hCIIS w:\~ lllltlll iiiiOliMI,I' <·lcc::tetl Presiclent for the year 1!)50.

The 'frns!Cl's sulfcre•l the luss. uy ch·alh. of one Elcdi1·c •rrustcc (Profl•ssor W. ,J. D:~kin) tlnring th..: )'Cat·.

Professor W . . J. Dal1in , \\'ho <lil'd ou :!u t! April. I!IJO, wa:s formerly Prorc~sor of Zoology in the l'uil'et·sity of s~·dnt'.'. :~n!l had bcrn au Electi,·c Trustee of the ~[uscum since l!l:JI. !le was a mcrubPr1 nntl for some tinw l'hairrllan, of th<• Scicnt ilic ancl l'ublicnt ions Committee of the T rustees :nu l alwa,,·s took :t keen interest in t h,, zoologic.al work of the ) [uscum a~ wl'll as in the wclfar<" of the inst itution.

'l'hc Trustcl'-s ;~bo ~;ullcrcd :1 sc,·crc loss i11 the dl·ath on l:!th :\OI'Cillhcr, 1!JJ!), of lll r. K 11. fi\\'i[t, Auditor·Ucneml, who hacl hct•n an Ollicial 'f rustrc sinc-e 1!1~:!. ) [r. SI\ ift had shown nu intcre~t in the afl'~irs of the .\ luscum heforc lit' hrc:llllt· " T1·n~tec, and during tht• period for whid1 he hl'ld onin• l11· rctulcred Yalunblc scrvit·c t ,, tht• inslitu t ic1u.

The l':ltlln<·ies in the office of Elccti,·e Tru:.tcc rcl!ultiug lr·om the deat hs of M1· .• John ::>pence (11ho <liNI on :?tith .Tnnr, HlJ!•' and l'rofes•o t· Dakin wt•rc filled ,,,. the l'lt'dion of :\!1·. (; , \. .Tohnson a nd P rofessor L'. LJ . l!'. ;\i ul'l'ny, ) 1 .. \ ., D.~c· .

Th1• list of Trusll'l':s at 3fltlJ .TtUic, !!1.)0. j.., :<huwn iu . \ppl'ndix ... \ :·

2. Staff.

:\11·. 1:. Le t:. Tronl{ltton, I 'umtOI' of llauruwk \\':IS alJroatl for ahout s ix nront hs on l'Xtcn tiNl l!•an· and took the oppor !unity of ,·isiling :1 1111mhrr of .\l u~t"Ulll~ ancl of attending th · lntl•lwltionnl Tcchnital ('onfc1·cnc·;• on thl' P rotedion of :\atur• :111d lh~ St·icntiti~ ('ont'('rt'lltl' 011 the \ 'oll»t'tT:Itiou and t'tili~a tion <•L Ht'sounrs. both held at Lake Sttt<'l'S>< in August, J!l·l!l. ll c "'"~ nlso :tp)lointt•!l a mcmhl'l' of t he Standing <'ommiltN• un lli~h-ilmtiou of 1't•n·estrial J"auu:ts ill the lnn('l' l':ceific. 'l'l up ~~~· the Paciti~ ::cicllt'l' A~-oei:ttion.

.\t tii(O I'NJ UC~t ol' the• Fisl1rril•s JJi\·i~ion or the l'oulnltlll· wealth 1,dcmifit• :11111 ln!lustria t Resea r·l'll Org-anization, tin· >~n ices of ~la·. ( :. 1'. \\'hitll'Y, < '111 at or of Fish.•s. were llllllh' an1ilahl•: tor a period of l\10 ;tnd :1 half months to lake chargt• of a tishl!'ies sm·,·ey in the Timor Sea.

'Phr srn ·iecs of }fL \\' .• \. lbinhow. Li l•r:tl'iun. who was 11111• to <:!1lcr on lc:l\'c Nlrl~· iu .J IIIH.', 1!130, prior tu !·ctil·l•mrnt, WC'!\' rlltamed for out' year.

T he rct il:<'llll'nt of .\f r. \\'. Harnc~, As'i~tnllt l' r<•par:•tor , "ltu was first a p('o in tc!l to t ht• )Juscum stall' in Ul07 look effect on 31st January, 19JO. '

i\fa., G. Binstcll, .\ssistallt l'rC'pat·afor, resigned on 2:l~t.l :\la rch, l!J.:iO.

Mr .. ). R. ~l1·hn, <::ttlt'l Pn•par:ctur , r<••ignl'<l 011 !llh Xo\'cln her. 19.J!l.

To fill 'l'ttC:nntil)~ in the Dt'Jl!l l'tmctlt ol' P t·ep:u·:•tiou, )l"ssr<. . r. llc,•mnn, N. <.'nmps a ntl K. 1\ l :tylield were a ppointed Cndct l't·~pm·ators.

In new. of diftie:ultic~ in kt•cpiug thl' MuS('IIllt grounds in ordct :uui 111 Pl'o,·idiug t dief ni~ht attcn<lunt·;), reprrsen tnlion• we re .made fo1· the appointment of a cle;• ncr.n ltcndant. S neh a n ~ppomtment wus :I)>J>ro,·ed 1111d the al'l'augcmcul hns been • ound to work ''Cl')' satisfac·toJ·il~·.

'fw? o! the Sci<"nce 'l'r:~itwr~, Mr:~srs. ,J. .\. Kcast and ,J. 1-'. l .oi'Crmg, comple ted the third yea r of tho ~cicnro .l co urac :~ t t~e. l:n~ ' e.r11ity of Sydney, and. both were permitted by the t~uverstly' ~utliorilies lo p roceed with the fourth yeAr course lnth t he obJect of qunlify ing for their degree " ·ith Honoure.

3. fie ld Work.

' l'l~e l>in·rlor accompanied Mr. A. U. P cnfol<l, Dircc to\' of t h~ J\l uscum of Tctlmology_ ami A11.Piied Rcicucc, 011 a ,·iai t of in,JII'rtil'n of the Hothurst )luscum in order to d iscus~ the stt·ps ncct·~~ary for mod<'rniz;~!lon of the display in t hat ~I USt' ll lll.

'l'ht• 1Ji1·cctor <tntl .\! 1·. lf. 0. l!'lctdlCJ' inspected a q uarry at .\lutlgcc whet·r fosstl plants of Silnriau age bad hecu reported to occur, !Jut the rocks pro,·ctl to IJc of mari~ origin.

In t he cou rse of !\J r. W!,i tlr,,·':~ fisher.'· sur\'ey iu the T imor Ht•a t•xtcnsi\'C collections were ma<l<'. 8ome of the s pecimens han• been l't'l't'h·ed nt lbc ~lu~enm from Fisheries DiYision of t'.H.I.H.O., f11Hl othcra arc c.ipcctell at n later <la te.

~I cssrs. 11. 0 . F let t hc1· a nd R. 0 . Chnhnc rs, accompanied by two of tht· ::kiem·e 'l'raint•(·S, Yisited <.:ox's l( i,·er, near Mcg ulong, and al~o cxploi'C(l :1 llt'W loe:l1 ity for ro~siJ plants a t D uncan's l'us~ when· thl',l' collected unusually good specimens o{ (/(IIIQCI'IliOJ' I Cris.

\ lt·~s•·,, 11 . 0. Flctcllt•r :tll(l I L D . H ughcs ,·isitcd U llndulla :nul t ltt• ll nnll'r Ril'l'r c\istriet to obtain mutcl'inl for a film th·:ding \\'ith Australian Pcrmi:111 fo,~ils.

4 . Gallery Exhibih. On, <::o~t· in the )lnmmal t:allel'\' \\:tl> rccon~tructed and

llnorl'~t'(•nt lightiug ll'a8 installed i1i it. .\l'!'angemcnts were made fo1 thl' <'tlmplctc rcl.lu ild in~ of t h<> cases in the northern t·utl uf 1111' )!:umn:ll (>allery in Ol'tkr to improi'C and motlcrnize tht• dis('lll~, :1:1 well M to m.lkt• the c:~st•s suitable for the installatiou of flnore~ccn t lighting .

.\ nant~Cilll'llt~ WC I'(' :tlso <·ompl\1h•!l lo ha,·e Jlnoresccn t lig ht· in).! in~tullc!l in th~ .\n~tralian H'l·tion of the E thnology GallcJ•,v :uul in tht' :llincr:ll C:allr1·~· .

5. Lib~a~y.

l>nri1:g tht• .war :.!': I'Ohtmc~ "'"l't• ll\ltle<l to the l.iiJrury. np:1rt fn•111 the usu:ll :ultlitionl! of unl.ound serials. E xchauge!! which h~ d hc<·n Sll~pt•nr!t•d owinj! to disturbotl colllli t1ons ('O n· t iunt·•l tv r<'~llllll' :tut1 ,.,,me Ill'\\' ones were entered into.

Tht• e'\h'ltl of tltl' rt'<OIII'<'l'' (I[ thi~ lihr:•r,'l' ma~· IJe gaugotl lry the iiH l'l'IISiiiJ; dcmantls lll:Jllc upon it br other l"CSCll r('h in,.t i tut i oll>~, not <1 nl.'· in thl~ Htatc. but a lso tht·oughou t tbe 1 'unlmOI'''·Palt h :n1d thr• Domiuion of :\ c\1 Zcal:ual . H elp is a bo ('1-(, nd,••l to in·li1·idu:.l 1 e~~·arclt worker:! "ho \'isit t he lihrar,,· :na1 tu umn.'· othcrM. including the p1·cs•, publi'lhrrs, studt•nts :tnd ~omul~'l'<· • :tl artist~.

"ome ~tij!h( progre~~ was tll.lll: with IJookbimling lJUt umch rr main:. to ht• 0\'l't!al..cn.

.\~ in pa~t .n·ars :••~btan•·c ha> IJct·u 1cnt!cr·cd in editing :mu t hl• p rcparution of m:Jtcria l fo •· pnblie:r t iou.

6. Publicatio ns. l> urin~· t ill' year, \'olume IX , .P:ll'ts J l :oml J::! , and \ 'olumc X ,

l'art l. ~f till' "Australian ~ruseum :\lagnzin<'' ' were is~ued, nnd \ 'olume X, l'art :!. was almo~l I''.::Jdy fot· clistritm tion :1t the <·nd of Jun('.

T wo :.rt icll'" i n t ht• ~lagat.illt' 011 "~pidt•r• II:U'Jll t':r l to )[a n '' t\'t•re i~sut•tl scpal':tll'l.'· :ts a kallc-t, .ond haw Jli'O\'Ctl to be popular.

\ 'olumc XXII, Xo. 3, of the "Hl•eon1s" was is~ucd in Janu:ny . J t con ta iuccl sc,·en papers, den ling wi th 11 Y:niety of subjects.

A further edition of ":\cw flonth \\'nks Ahorigiual P luce :\:ttth's :nul Euphonious \\'ord:<, with thr:ir ~leanings" was isslll'U.

7. L ectures.

The J>opul:o r St•it•lll'<' LcdUI'''~ IH'I <' t·ontimh•t1 :uHl tho altendan•·cs ~howrrl that tb.c.y were apprecia ted. l u the early 1•art of the ~ cnr it \\:18 neCC!Snt'\' to ~nr~cel th ree lceturcs of t he> J g i9 !cries on ac~ount of restnctions ou the u3c of lighting.

Only !cur lc1·tnrc~ to school children were gi1·cn .

The attendances at lectures were as follows:-

Nine Popular· Scicucc Lcelut·es ........ · · · · · · !)40

6i9 Four Sthool Lectures .... .... .. · .. · · · · · · · · · ·

•\ <·h:wgc was mac.lc iu the conditions under. which l~ctures were dcli,·ered to school childr"n. The scheme m operattou up till 19-HJ pro1·ided for one lecture :t fot'tnight during the school Year, nnd the number of <·hil<hcn attending these lcc~ures oftct~ ;lpproachcc.l three hundred. ('onscqucnt on thr :1rpomtme1~t of nu EJu('ation Officrr it was felt that greater benefit "oultl be derived from lectures to comparati1·ely small classes, followed in c:l<'h case by u doss ,•isit to :m appropri~te sc<·!ion of .~he Museum ml(ler the superYision of the Bdu<·ntJou Officer. '' tth the app{ovnl of the JJep:u·tment of. Edt:c<t~ion a scheme al~ul! these lint's wns IJr<'ughl into op!'ratton durmg the first half of 19J11, and it is working satisfnctorily.

8 . Buildings and Equipment.

l'lll'th()r trouble was experienced with the growth of mould ou porti(lnS of the reserve collecti ons stored ~n the basement. Vuriouf! expcri 111~11lS we1·e tried to ovetcome tlus, but they were only pnrtiall_y succe~sfu l.

In May, 1950, the 'l'ru~tecs WE're inforlllcd l!Jat tl1e lliiJtistt·r :for Huildin~ Materials had appro,·ecl thl'! erectwll of storago accommodation :1t :111 oslinmtc<l cos t of £50,000. This accon l­modation wi ll tOlnprisc lwo Jloors extending from the eastern wull or lite northcm wing, nlong the William-street frontng-c, nnd will fot·m the first s:rtion (,f thl' rxtcnsions to the Museum wlli~ll hnvc been cnrisngcd t.y the 'l'l'llstct•s for many years. When <·omplctcd, this cxtcnc!rtl storage actom:nodalion shout! soh·e the diffirultics which htln' ilel'n entouutercd in the sat:~­factory perse•·,·ation of the tollectious which huvc been housl.'d in thP. basement nnd iu the temporary galmnised iron sheds for many years.

The rcconstrut-lion of the ('ollege-stre<'t eutranc·e to the building wns c·ompletcd, nnd repairs were carriecl out to the stonework in the basement.

Duriug the unusuallx wl't yrar. a consideral.te amount of water at timrs fouml its w:ty tlu·ough lhe roof on.•r the birrl gallcr~·, t•ntcrin~t tl1c cxhihit eases and cloing consider:ll•lc damage to the colkdion of hinls on displa_,. ami storetlhcncath the r:1scs. A tteution was ~i,·cn to the roof aml steps takrn to pre,·eut n re<:uncnee of this difficulty.

The Department of PulJiil' Works let a eontrn('t for tht• instnl!atiou of a lift, uud the eontJ·::·~tor lll;ldc "'OOu pro•r res.; up to ;}OUt J un(', 1 u;,o. "' b

9. Finance.

. Kxpendihu·c f~o1n Collsoli<latcd Hcl'cnuc for the yC'nr (cxelutl­lllg Statuto1·y hll(lowmc·nt of £L,OOO) N1S £28,41i J7s. 711., comp:ncd with £~0,45:.! last )'Clll'. ~c·t cxpe1Hliturc from 'l'rus­tec~·- ,i\('<'Ollnt Pund~ (inclu<liul(' Statntorv F.udowment) wa:s £t,a.,s Os. 9d., compared with .£:3,0!.10 17s. 6d. for 19-:1:8-!!J.

The cash hnlnn(•C in tlH' 'T'ruq(C'Cs ' .\<;t'O\Illt at :lOth June, 1\l.ifl was £.302 10s. JOcl. Trustees· iun·stcd funds at :lOth .June, l!l.io' '~rr~ <:ommc.nw~nlth Tnsc•!'ihcd !-;tuck, £.j,3.3ll; ComuJouwcalt'l• ::ia11ngs J3aul<, .1:814 lis. O>d.

!-ttntem!'ut of Rr<'eipts nml t:xt.cn<liturc for the year is ~on· tain"d i!l Appendix "B."

10. Public: Attendances.

f:ilali~ti•·s of .\tlcndnnccs for th~ Years l!H.j.4(i to l!>J!).;;I) ar" :ts follows: - ·

\\' l'C·k·tl;ty<!. Stmdays. Tot:11. l!HJ-46 ............ 160,.184 07,9~:? ~:?S .. 'iO(i l!l H•--1 i •••••••• 0 •• • I :!O, lH-1 .H,~Ol li4,!l!l.j 1!1-li·.t~

•••••••• ' •• 0 J;1(i,08~ 61,/4.1 1 !17 ,S:!i l:lJfl-~9 .......... .. 1-il,l :-;] Gi,091 21R,2i:! ] !l·l!l·.itl

0 ••• ' ••• •••• l.J 1.~ 11 70,8!)0 :!:!.i, lO I

11. Publicity.

_'!'h.:: SlJ?Cimcns Hl'ni lalJ lc to l'at·ious fi rms fo1· 11~0 iu s ·. 1 wm<lo_w dtRplay wcrp in ronstnnt demand, nnrt this ser viccl~~:1

1~ij to l.>J·mg- thr_ Muscu1u to the not ice of lnr"c numbeJ·s of tl general J)uhhe. " · le

A smnll cxhihit or t.irds \\'liS pt·en:1rctl and <l is 1 · ·J·,tl llle Royul Agl'icultuJ·nl Show nf 1!1.3:1. • · P :IJ et

A; ~c~·ics of freshwlltl'r und marine n~aterial was lent fot· exhJbttton held hy the Aqnnrium ~ocicty of New Sollth Wal~~~

4

12. Vic:kery Stamp Collection.

Th" <·:tllinl·t~ f•H the: \'it-kcr.v Stamp Collection were eo piloted :11111 the t-:Jllt•clion nn:ntgcd ready for exhi!Jition to 1

1~1 • pu IJiit. c

13. Uneac:o Travelling Exhibit.

ln I'O c.pcralion with thl' ('on•monwca.lt~t <?fficc of Education plan!! wt•Je prl'p:lrrcl t or a Jli'Ol'Oscd cxhib1t 1llustratin.., tbe !if \>f the .~ustralian .\horigin·tl. 'l'his comprehettsh-c ~'\hibit .c ~o consist _of n :~c_ri~~ of twenty-two specially prepared cas;! wtcnded J or cx'lublhon o\·crscns under the sponsorship of l'ut!sc•o. 'l'h~ first. s:unplc cas~ has hc_en C?mpletcd aud is the subjctt or chsc·us~ton~ rcgnrdmg possible UllproYemeut IJcforc tbt• ~om:truction of the whole series is ::ommenced.

14. Philippine$ Mu1eum.

'l'ht· i\lu~t'll lll at Maniln, l'.I., lost tlac whole of its collections and CIJUipmcnt cluring the w:u, and applied to Unesc·o for ;Jssistn ncc in a·cplncing I he losses. 'l'his appl ication was sub­nlittc<l h,v the <.:ommoJJwca lth Otnce of Edu.cntion to th~ N'ationn1 Co-opcrntiug Body for Museums which, in turn, asked fo r assi~UtH<·c fl'()rll the Au~tmlian museums. The 'J'rustrcs :tgJ•e••d <o a~sitil hy maldn!.( some materia l U\' ailable from th~ <luplicut\J collt•ct ions. Otl11•r museums in Australia are co­opcr:tting-, null ni l the m:~lcrinl wi ll ho assemlJic<l at th1,

A ustraliun .Museum for (r:'tllliport to Mnnih.

15. Country Mu1eums.

'.s,i..,tan1·c w:1s gin•u 11ilh th" natlll'al h:stcry c:;bibi:s i:J th<! mu~~ttna:, :1t lioul1Ju1n and llalhurst.

16. The Col!ec:t.ions and Scientific: Work.

The l"t•llltlious l::11·c hrl'll kept in good order. The Te~r was again an unusually wet our, and some troub le was experi­t 1wed as a resul t or the growt:1 of mould on some of the stored <·uliN·tie>n~. The hird !!Jll'timi'JlS in the galleries, which were <l:Hil:l;!ed hy wat r •·, rec ... h·c<l attention and the damage was l't'}<nit•ed. 'l'hc llllii&U:lll,r wnrm wrathl'l' in September and Ottoher. 1 O·W, rcsultt•d in :.lll outhr<>ak of museum beetle-a tommon museum JH.'st- iu t:1e g:\llerics, nec·essitatiug tre:ttmrut an<l fnmigntion of the cxhihil cases :-:nd treatment of lh~ J:1anu11nl roon1 wit!1 rynnide.

Th1• !'Oil<•<"! ion of c:ll'l'('(l il·ol'irs presented to the 1'ruste~s Just Yl':il· by llli11~ t·:. llill was llll ]Htr·IICII for cxhihition, hut ~lis~ flill su;::g11;t c•d that they were more in kcc})ing with the I'OilcctiulaS of till' Mu~t'lllll of 'fcctmology nua Applied Seicm·r. a ucl ~he uskccl t ho 'l'rustees whethe r th('y \I'Oald agree to the 1t'anl!Pcr of the t·olloction to thnt inst itution. This the Tt·ustcc~ :•~l'l'l'd to, :tnd Ill(• •·olltdion \\'as ha1Hled to t1tc 1'n:stces of tlu.: 1\ l uol:lllll of 'J'cchnolog,r un<l Applied Sc·iencC'.

E.wl•aug-t·~ W<'l'<' t:m·icd out with :1 mmtber of institution§ on•t'st•:ts, iul'lucliug the l'itt Rh·crs ~[useum, Oxford, the l'araw:1k 1\luscum, th t• .\rth:wologicnl institute of Jap~n. the ~·outh A fri('Uil )lUS('\1111, t ht• ~(·hoot of Ti·opical and rrel·entm· ) [edia·ilw. Loma Lin<ln, <":llifomia. and Dartmoulh College )lusc•um, l'.S.A. 'l'h,• !>pecintcus J'etei ,·cd from these exc!Jan~es add to the l'alut• of our coiiC'ttious for <lispl:ty as well a~ for H'frn'll<' · and rcsc:trth.

1 'un·h:1•Cll of <~pccimens iJu·luclcd a scrirs of miner;Jls from 1!11• • ollt••·tiou of the latt' .1. C. \ri\ml'(l. a .:\ew C:llc1loma (', '' mnnial Axr from the I'St:ltr cf t!tt> late .\. . .T. \'ogau, and "ooc.lc·n fn('c masks from thr St>pik Hir('r. ::'\cw Guine:t.

\ ~mall t•nlll'ttion of milwr:tls w:!S prC'srnted to the .:\cwwo:lc Tt'thnicai ('oll••gc for !('aching pnrpo~('S.

Inquiries on natural histon· m:Iiters from tile gcn!'r81 puhli~ :tll<t from Oo,·ernnwnt Depni·tmcnt:.. both State and }'~dcr!tl, " ''n',. :1• usual. 1 c•ry llllllterouM :11nl pn•paration of rcpht•s orttt[lll't! nmeh of the time of the s1·icntilic staff.

YariO IJ>< lllt'JIIIJt•rs dr:h·cnl\ lPttur1•s to soti~ti~s and iust it n· 1 ioua i 111\'n·stcd i 11 1\ :111\l':t 1 11 i'tlll'), :111<1 I'Jutril)lll\'d m'"' l11·u:1tkn ~tM on ~uh.icets of topie:1 l interest.

.\lt•Juber~ (If' 11lt· M'i l' lllitl1· !ltnn· c·ontiuucd to ronlrihull: :ntich•s tor l h1• " .\u~tmlian ,\ tus('lllll l\la~azint>" :nJd son~~' . 01 1 h<'nl hal'l' :dso (ll'f'(Jill'Ocl :t(l!li'Oill'inl<' sec·tious of ".\nstr!1hnn •• . A 1 N \1011'11 .. e.wntc ·~tr:wt~·· puhlisho\1 by the .<\ustr;1lian 1 ' ll •

ltl'searth Council.

1Jin1.~ (l)lf7 la't•J•Ii/r,< (.1 . 1:. Kinghoru, Cura~or; .1. A. K2:JSt. RcicntC' 'r1·aince).

Xo oulstundiH'- collcctious wrrl' ·uld<'<l duriu<> the ycnr. but se,·eJ·n l in tcrcstiu7t spctimcn~ of l':ll':' snn kes WPI~ rcr:"i,·ed froul the Fnn('~( n;r .. r :'lli5~itm, '\vrth W\'St .\ustr:lli:t .

Quite n large numuer of uunamcd specimens of repti le:; i n the olll collt>ction~ Wl't'C identified, cataJogu~d aml added to tl1u ~:encrn l n•ft>l'encc scriel!. Scn•ral genen1 uud spedes of both birds :uHl n•ptiles wcre examined for o,·erseas workers, ancl a good <ll•nl of nssi~tanee wns gi,·en to Australian students of Ornithology :uHl lll•rpetolog~-.

}'urther information was rl'cd,·ed from Dr. 1\refft concerninl{ the type ot nn Austrnli!ln snnke in the Golil('nburg :Museum, Oermany. and it il! hoped thnt snfficil:ut mntcri:tl i<; now 011 hnnd to ell:tUlC the 1\'0I'k to UC COIIl)lletetJ.

Assistance aml ;l<h ice was giYcn to the Department of Tt·:Hll' nnu Customs in the idcntibcation of imported birtls and fenthcrs; to the ('hicf !:'ccrctary's D.apartmcnt iu matters concerning t he llirds and .\.nimal Protec-tion Act; and to the Department of Agrictlltun• when eddenec was clesi1·ed on the c(·ouomic \'tllue of c~rtain l.>ircls.

Zoology students wcrt• pro"idcd with duplic~te material fur s tud)', and n special dis~ection of nn American toad w:1s m:1 de for t hl' zoology class at the S.C.KO.G.S.

OrcrSC:lS Yisi lors thn·ing the ycnr indurlccl Mr. P lath, CuntiOl' of tho Chi(•:tgo Zoo, who spent a good den! of tiwe examining Aust l':tliH n birds in t he refc l'cnc(' collection .

:J[am mals cotcl Sl:clctrnl~:~ ( 1•:. Ll' (:. Trougl ,lon, ( 'tll·ator) .

Important :lC·qui~ilionl! for the yc•:n· int ludcd n sct-ond s peci­men of the un ique ~' t·i ng-c·tai l c!l W . t ter-H;~t (Crossomy~) of' New Guincn, ft'om :11 rr. K J. L. Jfallstrom; specimens of platypus, koala, a SC'I'it'~ of tree-kangaroos (Dellc7rolaows), an Cur:mg-utan :md n Gihl>on f rom 'Paronga Park '!'rust; a small c-ollection ft·om .Mr. L:t\\Tl'ncc Jones, of Port )lorcsb~·, intludiug­tho first ~luseum ~pcdmeu of :1 spedes ot' marsupi:tl-mousc. a series of indigenous rnt~. and a fruit-!tat; three ~pedes of smnll bats from Dr. D. ;\Iacdonald, of the Dental Ser\'icc pf North·west Queensl:1nd.

Assist a nee pro\ ided for \':trious departments :mcl institution,; in-cluded : Reports on the use of uau<licoots in the preparation of anti-tick serum, ou rabbits for research in regard to control methods, :tnd on the proposal for farming c·hinchillas in .\us­tralia (for the ('hiei Hetretary's Department); on the control of HJiflrom,IJ.~ (Water-Rat) and other indigenous rats and on the elimit!ation of small bats from premises (for the Depnrt· mcnt of Public ll(':tlth ); on the control of bandicoots (for the Department of Agriculture ) : 011 the useful aeth·itics of bandicoots in consuming cud-gruhs in the C<me fields (for the Colonial Sugar Relining Co. Ltd.); and on the supposed defoliation of euc·a lypts by grey possums (TI'icllosurus ), actually attl'ibutahle to scarabaeid beetles (for t he Di1•isiou of Entomology, C.S.J.RO., aucl the Forcstt·y and Timber Bureau, Canberra) . Assistauco was r.lso given to representatives of several companies engng<'cl in production of educational nat ure fil ms, espccinlly in 1·cgard to preparation and accuracy o£ t he film scripts.

The collcet.ion of humnn e.-ania was macl e :tva ilable for study l,y M t·. John Jicnt h, o r t hod ont ist, of Me lbourne ; :. ser ies of fifteen crania was s upplied for rnd iographiug Hnd resca rcl• h,Y Mi!<_s B. Il t·assin:<ton; a set of selected c·rania w as a lso supplied J'or t he exhibition associated "·i th the fo J-theomiug Dental Congt·css in Ryclne,1·. An interes ting series of marsupinl crania wns obtninC'cl from specimena otherwise uusu i table fo1· presen-nliou; tht' skull tJnd skeleton of a b i rd, and the a;Ja l skeleton of a rare fish (Acanthocybium) from Papua wt•re also preservrd.

Preparations \\'cr·c made for the reannngemcnt of the marsupial section nt the northcm ('nd of the mammal gnllery nnd some eonsidcr·ation gi\'cn to reanangements in the skeleton gallery.

Fishes (G. P. Whitley, Curator).

Acquisitions included cotypts of ParaphyCI -~' mir'c-~tila (from )fr. I. S. R. :\lunt·o) nnd the only known Austrnliau specimen of Lcpidocybium; collections of fishes from Dr. Catala. ~ew Caledonin, and scrir• front Laloki River, Paptla (L. Jones) unci New Zealand (.\ . .M. Hapson), r.wities from the Sydney F'ish Markets (.J. C. Woor·c), tropiea l sharh antl fishes from th t• C.S.I .R.O. Division of f'ishcrics: eggs laicl in tnpti\'il~· hy a 11'!-ycar old Port Jacksou Shark (Tnr·onr:-:t Zoologit"al Park ) ; and many miscc llnneous donations frolll India, P:1pua, W!'strm Austra lia, ~o•·thrm 'l'<'l'l'itory, Qnrcnsland, :-low l::lou th \\'a les, T-asmania, New Zcnlancl, Lord llowc l slnnd a nd Canton Islands. Somo Cnliforninn shore tish('ll we re reee i,•ccl by r xchnngo frotu lk B. H a lstcatl. ·

.All the JCu r '~ uc·.:c~~ iuu ~ 11!1\'C I.Jccll rcgi:slerua , t-al<tluguccl allll s tored. Aho ut ten moulds or casts of fishes mnrle hy t hr Jl,''Cpn rll to rs nwait complet ion fo r the gallery . Old skins of Gummy S hark nncl Sergraut Bal<cr fish were replaced l1y modern casts in t he exhibited collections.

A collection of P lcctogn:tl hi is still on loan to i\!r. F rascr­R ruuner at the B ritish llfuC'soum (Natm·al IIistor_y) nncl several Soles nnd TOJlg"uc Roles to D r 'Paul Chal)nnnud of

! >aris. ~pt•cimens were lent for tho Aquarittm Satiety's E xhi­hitiou at RYd ll ('" 'l'own l1 :1ll. Some la •·vnl fishes a rc on loan to )fr. T. s.' H. ~l umo, C'ronulln . A ('Ollection of poisonous ml(l \'t•nomot:~ fi~hrs w:1s s<•nt, hy "·:•y of cxcbnnge, to Dr. B. llal:~tt•a cl. Loma Linda, l'alifontia. Two cotypes of Roulcilta t•uda wt·rc 1<-nt to l'rofessor A. E. Parr, Americ-an ;\[useum of Xalnral llistot·y. Xc·w York. A ~election of C:hatham Islands fishes w:.s ich•ntifi(•cl for tl.e Dominion Museum, Wellington , X cw ~,:, ... J:nul mu! .\ rnhcm Laud duplicates Wt>t·e returned to Dr. ll. 'J'homson. ~lclhournc. ~omc tropical fishes were gh·cu to )lr. )1. \\'ar<l':! 1-!useum nt ~lcdlow Bnth.

Ucscripl ion~:~ nn•l lij!tn·cs or ne w or rare fishes were preparell whc11 oppo•·hlllity uffcrc•l and work proceeded on "Fishes of .\ustrnlia'' and on contributions town•·ds the ".\ ustraliau J:n,·y<·lop:t•cli:~.''

:\lr. \\'lJitll'Y dt·liH'rt'd thl' Froll.'gatt Memorial Lecture, on "'1\orthcm 'l'crritor" ~'bites·· to the :-rat uralists' Society of X l'\\' !-lout h \\'a le~. ·

\ 'e r_,. Humct·ou::~ lll<Jnirit·~ han~ been answere<l includ ing some on mnn1nu11~ and mollusca du r ing the absence of the eurato•·s (J[ thos<' clcpn r tmcnts. \ 'isitors iuclu<l r d D r . R. Catala, Noumen ; MajOI' 11. ~1. W hiltell, O.n .E., B•·idgctown, Westem A ustralin ; !) ,· . • J. JJ . l•'. llnrdcub~r:r, .):l \ ':1, n nd delegates to the I udo-1 'm·ilic• l·' ishNil'l:l l'ou f,•reHcl', Cronull~ .

'l' hc Crown won its Court <'nsc against l)CJ·sons " ·ho hncl wrongly luhrlh-d B:arnttouta as Anstralian Salmon; i llcn t ifica -1 ion of numerous ti ns of fis l1 :tt t his 1\Iuseum fo r t he H ealth lJC>part mcll l preceded the launching of the prosecution.

l 11 forn:a tiOl\ JH'ClHil'C'd for )lCl'SOnS a nd iusti tutiollS included the• folluwing: l >ntn 011 .\t1tnrctic i\'otothcnia (Dr. 0. ::\Tybclin, (liitt•hor:.:-, Hw<'dt>n); 11iomrtrirs and other uata on sharl<s c O!Tit·C'r~ of thr ('.S, l.l i.O. I>i1·i~ion of ~'ishcries); Ad \'ice on tnuh• U:llll('s of .\ nstralian :llld imvor ted fishes (Commomvealth Fi~hC'rirs Offic(• ) : )lun:l.r ('od (Chief Seuctat-y's Department) ; lnformntion nwl identifications conc·eruiug various fishes (Su1>· ('rintendcnt of l>'isheriC's, Sydn·~y); lcleutifications of and notes on Queensland fishe~ (Department <of Harbours and )larine, Rrisb:lll('); South African fishes (Professor J. L. B. Smith, Grahamstown); Pipefishes (Dr. E. llerald, San Francisco); IJ<:aths from ston<>lh;h ,-cnom ( Ur. 11. Flecker, Cairns); Shark attack~ (Dr. V. M. Coppleson).

Prclimin:u_,. :tl'l'angcmcnts were maclc for recording at this :\ln~cum I ht• :1uthtntit maximum sizes of fishes for an organiza· tion ot' l'porting fi~hctmcu.

.\ft-. Whitle~· completed the following papers : "Studies in l c-hthyolog~·. No. 1 ~" (Rcc. Au.~tr. 1\Ius.); ' 'Mammals" (Aus­lralicw Fishcl·irs, 19:iO, p. 42); "De,·elopment of n P ort J:tek· son Slull'k" and "Some Hare Australian Fishes'' ( Proc. Roy. 7.oo1• Soc., N.S./1'.).

f llsrc-ls 0111/ .tl roclmid.<. (A. } Iusgra vc, Curator ; K. C. Mc­Keown, As~istn n t Curator; Nancy B . Aclams, Assist ant ) .

'rhc t•umhcr of i nquiries concerning insects and spiders s how('d a considcmLle inc rease, mnny of them dealing wi t h species wh ich the iuqu irers thoug h t to be ha rmful to man.

'J'J, c rct·cnt dis('O\'t'r)' of the p t·cscnt·c of the A rgentine nnt (Jridom!Jl'lll(•.v lunuili.•) in Sydul'y sul.>nr))s resul ted in :1 largo numhcr of •·cqut'sts for inform'ltion.

\'i~itors to the J><•partment ineludctl Miss L. E . Cheesman (British J\lusrum), 1Jr. N. T.. H. Krauss (llawaii), Air. 1<'. (.'. Wbil:lhousc (\'aucom·c:'r), Dr. :i\Iontgomery (Purd ue Univer­~it~-. 1J.S.J\. ). OIIi<'c:'rs of the DiYision of E ntomology, C.H.LR.O., paid many \'isits to study specimens and literature.

He,·isiouat·~· work lli'OCc:'cdc>cl on the cabinet collections of .\ ust rnlinn )';' O<'tuida" a11<1 certain families of Diptera, and the .\ustrali:.n ;\lemhracidac were brought up to date. Work was t·ontillli~"Cl on .\ustralian Ccrambycid::tc, the biology of Aus· trali::tn )lnntispiclaC' ancl on the food of Australi;u• bi1·ds. \\·ork on the J.ihliograpltics oF Australian and Pacific Islands Ln~c<·ts and otl Auslt·aliun Arachnida was adYancccl. A list of l'<'rnacul:u nalllcs of insct·ts was prepart!d at the request of tlw J)i\·ision of 1-:ntomolog.", C.R.l.R.O.

'!'he types of l~phcmt•roptrrn. recentl.1· described oy Miss Jant't Hnrkrr were pt·t·s('utt•d by her to the Museum.

Mt·. ~!usgl·:w<' :.ssi«tl'll a Phenological Committee appoin ted l>v the• Linnrnn ~'lcirtv of Kew South \\'a les, in t hC' prepm·atton of a list of insl'<'l'> likt•ly to st·t·,·c :ts seasonal indic:ttors. 'fhh1 < '(IJtllllitl<'t was llppointr(l in n'sponse to a request for ;tssist :mce by t hr ~r ctcot·tl lCigit·a l But'('!'lu.

Site 1/.<.-·(.l o,rcc: J\ llan , (~urutor; D. F. ) Jel\fichaol, Scicnco Tra lucc•) .

Much of th<' worl< of the Dcp~ll'tmeut lws hecn t he i<l entificn­tion aucl t· l:tssifkatio n of colledion:s of shells fo r tlte gonc t•al puhli<· and for various inst it utions. On. accou~1 t of the n:r.v wet. ~t'aHon an unustwll,v large proport ton of t.ho n~at.cua l rccci ,•c<l f'ot· iclcnlific:ll·ion hns con11isted of representatives of the lancl fauna, inquirc•·s hrn·iug- in mincl t he possibilit~' of t he ~n:1 i lR l1ri ng cl('~\ ru<'l i''t' lo crop~ :~ud garclt'n plants. nr.

N. L. R. Krnuss, of ua,"cdi, spent some time stu~1yiug c~t: nivorous species of lnnd snails likl'ly to provo ;JJ8~ 1.n c~~~aii ing the African snail which has become. e.sta ~ lR f th ·md is o. threat to cultivated crops. Ltnug speClm~ns o ~ Australian carnivorous snail, Stranges_ta, and of the tntroduce

0 species If Plil'clla l'rllaris wet·e obtamcd and despatched t Hawaii for experimental work. .

Rearrangement of the collections was proceeded wtth, .and tbe routine work consequent on tbe transfer of the collccho1;s from the basement to the conchologist's rooms. was ad\"llli~Cr. A considerable amount of assist:mce was recetv.ed from · c. F. McLauchlan iu I.'Onnertion with laud snatls and from Mrs. L. \Yoolacott in i<lentificntion of common shells, .etc.

Minute shell frnglllcnts from caves in North Aus~ralt~ "'Cl'~ identified for Ur. N. W. G. Mclntosh, of the U~H·er~tty oc. Sydney, nnd the (\ istrilmlion, .ecology. ~ud classlfi.c~tion o~ species c.f n number of Aust~·ahan f~ml!lCS "·ere checked f01

Dr. L. Nicol of the SmithsonH\1\ Inshtuttou. 11\\'estigation of l>lanktonic cepha.lopods and or Opistho·

hranchia wns ,.outinue<l as opportumty offcretL

Crustacea ancl other .Tnvertc:IJratc Groups.-(1". A. i\IcNoill, Ournto1·; :Elliza.beth C. Pope, M.Sc., Assistnnt-Curator; D. F. McMiclmcl, Science '!'mince).

Compnratively f ew specimens wcl'o rccei,·ca <luring. the year, the most notable being n giant jelly fish, Oyanea cap11/ata, prc· 11cntcd by the Sr<lncy Water Police, some Coelenterates from Weste1'11 Anstrnlm presented by Miss D:. C'ho~1lcs, and a co~lcc t ion of im·crtchrntes made nlong the' \ tctonan coast bet" ccu Wilson's 1'1·omontory nncl Portland.

The collection o£ frcshwntrr Crayfish (Paruslat·idae). 1·e<:ch;ed last year f.rom Mr. K F. fliek, was checked and cata· Jogued: a complete check was made of the Crusta<:ea refcr.en~e c::oll~etion· the collection of ,\sc·idia was complete!~· reorgamzed. :~s a resuit of the work on the group ~arried out by Miss. P. J\ott of th<' Fisheries Divi~ion of C.!).J.R.O., and tlie eollecttou "·as catalogued for the first I imc; :1 collection of .Nematode worms, named nncl de~cribcd hy l'rofcssor '!· llm·,·ey ~ohnston. "·as registered an<l catalogued; and collechons of Eehmoclerms nnd pol~·th:lC'Ie worms, which hncl been affected by moultl .w~1·c c·lc:tucd r:u<l re,·isc<l. Tu onl~r to ac·~ommoclatc thC' Ascahan ~ollecti<lll it was neccssarr to mow the collection of Bryozo:• nnd most of tlw jcll~·flsh· and aul'tnOncs uml these ~oll<'ction~ were reconditioner! :u1 tloey were mo,·cd.

The eulledion of p.1msitic C'ope}loda w:t~ scut to Dr. llc~g:oarcl, of ('opcnhagen, for examinatiou and report. 'l'lw residual matco·inl o! tow·ncttl'd Copepoda from tlw Austral:o· sian. Anlnrcti.1· E'pcdition, 1911-HlU, was sent to Jlr. \\'. \' cn·oort of Lcidcn for rxamin11tion :mcl ~11Tnugcments wcro uu\IIC' for the mnt-cJ·ial origiu11 lly S('nt to Dr. G. S. Brady. whi<·ll h:.cl bcl'll found to hi' in th l• lbuco~k ~uscum, Xc\\­C'iiStle-on-'l'yul', to ht' st•nt to Uo·. Yt!l'\'()01't for cxruninatio11 before boiug 1·ctum~d to the Anstl'alian 1\fuseum.

i\asisbo n<c ri'1HI<'l·cd t<1 institutions ancl individualll :iuc lndcd: D;1ta ou a numbc·r of Crustacen (to Mrs. L. M. Williugs, of Fisheries Division. C.H.l.RO.); nn111ing a collection of locnl shore invertebrates (for Dr. D. llill, Fl:•luuoiu Teachers' Col· I!'~<'); prodding ll:lllH?~ for a 11111111Jl•r of in•ertebrates figuring in a report on the )lt. Kosciusko area ((or an of!lecr of thl· IJt'p:ll tnl(•ut of Cm1sen•11tion) ; prc!J:ll'::ttion of a list of nor ll!ltulnr nnlli C's of ~omr Au~b·al ian im·crtcln·atcs; data on m:u·inc stingiug org:wisms (for Pix Kcwspapcr); identification un<l J.:rnwth 1:1t1! of 1·akt~rcons worm luht•<S clogging intake pipt~ of el.•cll k hu bin I':; (fur th•· ('hit'f Chemist of Bunneroug l'owcr llouqc); idcutifications of spetimens of Yarious groups for Dr. It. Catula (1\'oumca). )lr. Shohbings (.British ~useum l . Dr. flercnc (f ll(\o·Chinn), ~I iss D. ('houles (Perth), :md :\It·. 1<'. J.ee Hoger:t (Philadelphia); ancl 1·eplies to mmlet·ous in q•1irics ou earthworms and their work.

Fnrthcr I'Clll':lrl'll was c':lnieol out on the Decapod matl'rial of the J3ritish Ga·cat Banier Reef Ex-pedition and forty·lin· uame<l species were prep:trecl for rctum to the B1·itish Museum. 8ntisfact01'Y progre~s wus mude with work ou the b:nnaclc~ of Wrst~1·n Australia. l>'it>ld trips wc1e made to study the intertidal e:cology of portion of the Vi<'torian coast, as :t supple· m~nt to \\Ork on lhC' ~1'1\' Houth \\'ale's coast. Short report~ WNO prcp:tl·Nl Ill\ COlllll\('I'Cild Possibilities of Coral n ecf Dett·itus nnd on t.hc ('OilllllC'1'1'i:tl J!:xploitation of the G1·ccn TnrtiC' (Ciwlollc myclas) .

Minrral!l and Rock.~- ( R. 0. Chnlmers, A.S.T.C., C'urntor; .T. F. Lo1•cring, Scion cc 'I'minec; .l!'ridn Saehs, Assistant).

Uul'ing the yt':\l' uin('t,Y-four minr1·a! specimens an•l 206 rock!! were addccl to the regi~lcrcd collec-tions. 'I'hev inuludcd three thoice gold specimens ft·om Western Austraiia four ctrhcd meteorites obtained from the U.S. National M~seuu1 antl a nmnlJC1' of polishe<l slnhs of building stones. '

!n co·opcrution 1\'ith the :.ruseum of :rcchuology and .Appli('d ScJence,.~!r. Gh_a!mers ro.r.tlinu~d ~o~k.m preparatilJn of a new f!nd rensed cd1hon of The Bftild1rtg Stones ot New South Wales." An exhibit M building stones was installed hi tl!o gallery.

'l'hc c~olleclion of meteorites wn~ cl1cc~ed _with a. view le the preparation of eompl~te dut~ fo1: wel~s1on 111 ~n I nternatiOIUII <'ataloguc;. of .l\Ieteor1tee wh1eh IS be1cng comp1led by a Cotn. mittec in the United States.

Collections for ten~·hing purposes ~·ere sent to New England Puircrbit.l' Collel{c, Newcastle Tcehmcal College, and two High :->('hools.

Routine work of checking the mineral collection proceeded.

~hort ticld·trips were mnde. to .the Oberon-Bockley district to Megnlong Valley nnd Cox s .Rn·er nud to Mudgee. Som~ progrcs~ was made in the analyst~ of the ~orcst Vale meteorite hut thi!l was mu<le difficult by llltenuphons nn(l restriction~ in gas and electricity supplies.

J.'os~i/11- (H. 0. l<'letcher, Cum tor).

Rc~!istt·ntions duri.ng the yenr nnmbct·ed 25~ cpccimcns aud included n large scncs of well prescl'\-ed spec1mens of Ganaa· moptcri11 f •·om the Upper Coal M~asures at Duncan's P3s.~, near Nnnow Neck, T<rttoo!'tha; Tl!rh~1'Y lea\"eS from Whyrnlla, nc:• 1· I,ismorc; :111 int~r.csbn~ undescn!JI'd and almos~ completo tl'ilobito from Or<lortctan rocl<s :tt the Belubula. R1ve1· (pre­scntccl hy ~h. L. ('. Wooldridge); ~ series of marine fossils from I'ennian ro<·ks noar Ycnnudcrte (presented by the Geo· to<ricnl Sun·cy of New South Wales) including an importnnt sp~cimcn of j~crtrbratic~ australis McCoy, from the Upper Coni J.f<'nsure~ of' the Rtll'l'agorung Valley.

With t ht' proYi~ion of. new rnek work it is now possible to store the collc~tion i 11 zoologica I order and with each gt·oup arnongell strntigrnphic:.'ll~·. .A st~rt has been m:1de in this o·<'gartl ancl en,•h ~pecnncn tS hewg. c·hecket~ as. far as its itlcmt ilh•ation, loc·ahtv :md :my oti.Jer mformahon IS conccmed. Th<' list of t,ytH.) ll1ateriul is :1lso being kept up to date.

Th•· ,·ert('brntc collection of fossils is now housed in its 1·nt irct y in t lw iron-shecl. The spceimcns ha,·e been thoroughly d1cekcit. ea talCJgucd and in(lexcd. A list of Utc tn>c specimen~ is hcing Jl1'CJI:li'C(l.

llnl'in" the nnr well preser\'('tl ,ped1ncns of Tertiary plants from IJ;Jton nn1l Gunning 1\'t•rc placed on exhibition in tLe g:ollC1'."·

!-;pc·dm~·n:; were ll·nt fur r~'SI':H'~h purposes to the l:~,·ers!t~· ol' (~uecn~lancl the Hure:lll of . .\lwcral Resounes, The 'C1mers1tr vf \\'cstt•t•u A'ustmli:t, The l:ni,wsity of Melbourne, The t:ui· 1 ('o·sity 1•f l".nlucy, )[ r. 1::. Hit•k of thr C.S.I.R.O .. Canberra. a111l Dr. n. T. \\':tdr.

:\1 r. Hit·k lln~ Jli'I'Jlan·d :o ntnt1her of resenrch papers on ~Luscunt spN·ime1os of l'cr111ian and Trial!sic insect renmins >lllcl Olll' p:ope1· on thl' 'friassie .Mcc?plt•r:l from Drook,•alc, X.S.W., \I'M puhlishc<l iu th1 "Hceor<ls.

M 1·. 0 . l.c M. I\ ni~ht, Honono r~- Concspoudcnl of the .\!llscunJ. Jll'Cptll'l'tl n paper t"ntillcd the "~'ossil Insect Be~~ of Bclmont, N'.f.!. \\'.," \\'h.ldr was published 111 the '·Records.

J'hoto~r~1phic pl'iuts ol' '1\rti<l1'." ]Jlanls !igmccl hy Baron l•)ttiugsltausc•n (r.tt'm. Ucol. Sur. of N.S.W., Pal. No. 2), were Jl i'''Jllll'Cd nnll forwnnlt·cl to Dr. 0. H. Selling of t!1c ~3tu~· histm·isl<:l Hik~mu~t·um. P.tochholm, Fwcden, to nss1st 111 Ius n·~earchcs.

).lalll' iuquil'il's on v.1rious a~pcds of palaeontology IIW~ altcmll·d to olmiul{ I hi' n::n· :nl(l a tonsiderablc au•ount of foss~ uwtc:rial wn" itlcntifit'tl. .• \ Jl\llllbl'r r.f repot·ts on palaconto~g1: ••al m:otlt•rs wt•rc prcp:on~1l for ll•t' t:cologieal Sun·cy of ·ell l"outh \\'alt·s.

nul'in!< th1• .'t':01' tht· pholognapJo,,· was towplctcll for an •·<lne:\t ioua I t•ulonr l•i 111111. ail m 011 lht· "P('ruunn Fossils of tl•e lluntl'r \':dh•Y." ·

('ollc1·ling .was carrit•d o11t iu thr l'pper Coal )leasures 31

lhuocan's l'ass, U(':tl' Katoomha. Two \'isits to the Hunter Yallt>,. and a bli1•f \'i,;it to l'llad••lla. were m:ule in the pre· p:ll'at.iun of the film 011 fossils. The Brooknllc CJ~:orrr r ~taS l'i~>ited 011 1 1\'CJ o< <a~ions a111l ~peeimcus were obtatnctl row the quan.' lllc11.

· ti 1· \"IS ur1de of In t·OlllJ)>lny with the llircttor au JUYes gn ron .' · . · 1 nt :• hriek·pit at M IHij!t•e from whkh supposed SJhll'•An 1 ~es 1'<'11Hlin~ hatl llcl'n <'ullt'l't<'ll. It was found thnt the. 5 ~nt w~rt• of uwrinr• origin and that the locnlity did not 1'nrr. l'udht·t· nttrntion.

" r · . cxnminntion of H<'SNIJ'r•h \I'OS connnNl to :1 prt> tllllll:tl') • ·. b.'t front c·cl'tnin 1'<.'1'11\inn g-rouvs. Ono paper entitled •·Tr.alo ~ c~ the the:' !Silul'inn of New South W:tles" \Yas publtshct 111

"Ht:cor<ls."' . l' n~rdr,

A nllrro11ulopy-·(l''. n. ~·fi.!C':nthy. Cnr:ttor; 0. · · A.~.'P.<'., 1~.11.N.I'!., Jlon. N1m1ismatist). d n

. \ " tb!l Oil•. A I otn 1 of 1 ,!liS sped mens wns 1'C(•eJred. 1 mon, nt~l:intbi

t iot~s rccelvl'cl Wt'l"l' ;:;o I .lltt•llC implcmcn,ts ~ fro;nScl\' soufb (th1cfl~·) nnd Lakr llhntarl·a on the Son1h Coa~t 0 f olll.Aona Wale~. from Mr. 0. U. Ytyor; t11 sta»e i.mpltt!!t~nl~ bavidbOD; Beach, n~a1· PorL Sh~\"ena, N.S.W., ftom Mr. 1'. 1 'tralifl froJD stone imJ'Ilelll<'nts from various parts of South Aus

Mr. II. M. C'oope•·; n JJulua·knil'l' from )lr. :\[m·plty at Koolt• «ong; n dentated blnde from ~lt·. -!- W. T. Arwstrong fro111 1 ho Bogan Ri,·er; a groun<l·eclgc tins<> I f•·om Cn<1:ll from Mr. A. 1\fa~don:~ltl; two c·ylin<lro·c·onical stone?~ from the Pnroo River from Mr .. J. Alexander; grouml-eilgc> ax:es :nul kuappecl implements f•·om Mrs. n. )l:tkin, 1\L~s. ,J. H. _Lockyer .. :oul )fessrs. ,J. Bykes, 11. G. ll:unmond, 1,, H. )Jc::\nnght, G. ll. Kuowles and <.'. E. (.'bndwil·k; a hue ~l·lies oi honl' spear JIOints r:·om Palm Beach, pre~entecl hy ~h·. P. A. J>:widson; a small series of Tnsmnnian t •·imnwtl llake-s from Mr. <.i. c111npbcll·Smith; seY•·•·al line palacolith)l from Englnnd from o1· . .r. 1'. Pindlay; H :tborigiltal w,'npons, more thnn si:~:t~· vcar.s old, collected on Bil-mnhil and Willandra stations on ihe Lneltlau Jlin'r, X.S.\\' .. from l\11·. \Y. l)uttor, .junior; two left-handed boom!'l':lllgs, \V a lpri triiJl', N ol'the•·n Territory. from :llfr. \\'. E. lllll'nt'y (Honorary ('ollcctor) : n 1'ln·bo-shell fish-hook from Mcrimhuln, X.~. W., hcinf,: one of onl.r thrcl' specimens now in our eollection from the coast of New South \\'ales· sc,·cn fin<' old Fijian wc;tpOn$ more th:w sixty yenrs old fr~lll Mr. Skeuuer, and nine other spc<•imens t'rom Hi~~ltoka, Fiji from Miss L. Whittingham; 1~ b,)w and set of a now~ fro~ 1'l'lfolmiu, nn inaccessihlc locality in the interior of Xew Guinea, from :'l!r. D. l'lifton-Bassett; a fine Parang in shcnth f1 om Bol'IH'O from Miss Dol bey; :1 splendid m!xed collcct.iou of s ixteen spec·imens, which includes Pacific Islnnd materinl and a fine srrics of five western Ap:1chc Indian haskets front Arizon:~, lJ.S.A., from :'IIrs. Jolle~·; mats from Fiji nnd Tonga from :'1!1-s. ~1. l<'rccstonc nud :'Ill's. WieJ;s; n Rlcdgc t!SCd hy the !-i<•ott Antar\'fi~ Expedition of 1910 f•·om C:~ptain Jl uric~·.

By exchange wc r<>cl'ived some \'cry interesting ancl v:llunbh• <>ompar:lti,·c material comprising forty-one Palaeolithie stone implements from the De1>artment of Geology of the British Muset•m and twcnty-uine stone nnplements reprcsentin~ the Neolithic pl•riocl in J npan, f rom the Archacologit·nl Institute of • lapau.

The ntrious cnrd rat:llogues or litt'raturc, specimens, vendor:1, and dah: were mnintaincd, :mrl the cntnloguiug of Australian material in the gallery nnll the snoaller spcdmens iu two 1.mits of the steel ea binets is now in hMH1.

Mr. ('. P. Mountford, from Aclt'laide, photo~rnphcd the whole o{ our collection of bark paintings. Information recorded hy Mr. }[c('arth~· nnd Mr. F .. M. Sctzler, consisting of hriC'f <'Xpla!•ations of about seventy bark p:~intiu~s, was sent to :\fr. :'lfonntforcl and to thr l'uitccl Stntl's' ~ationul )Jusc•mn (which posscsse• lwlf of this series).

Dr. Lconhard Ad:1m noted and photographed a number of om· Melnnesian carvings for his projected work on primitive art t() be publisbecl in the Penguin sct·ics, aull also for use in his lectures at the Universit~· of Melbourne.

:'11uch of the research work qone was in connect ion with data recorded <luring the Australi:m mtd Amct·ican At·njtem Land Expedition tn 1048. The dntft of a paper entitled "'rho Time-Factor in the Economic Life of Aruhem L and Tl'lbcs, with Notes on Their Ethnology," was prepared and scut to Miss l\I. Mae:~rthur, :1\I.Sc., joint-author, wlto is in London. A St'COllll report, dealing with the e-xtensive sct·ics of c:wc painting~ recorded on Grootc 011tl Cb~sm Tsl:wcls, is in ltau<l. 'l'hcse two reports arc for inclusion in thr first volume of t)•c ~cicntifi<\ results of the E~pcdition. The drnft of a thirtl r<'port, denling with the ·'Arch:lcology of Arnl•em Laud," was sent to F. M. Sctzlcr, A.B., llcad Curator of Anthropology at t he United States National l\Iu~eum, who is collaborating in this report and who has material to add t,o it. A short pape•·, entitled "A Unique Hafted Ad~e from Australia," by }'. M. !';etzler aml F'. D. McCarthy, appeared in the Journal of thc Washington Academy of S~iencc•, Yol. 40, Xo. 1, .January, J9JO.

A paper entitled "Stone Implements from Tandaucljal, Northern Territory of Australia,'' dealing with specimens e:tcavated by Dr. N. W. G. Macintosh, was prev.nrcd for publication iu Oce«11ia. A poper entitled "Some New and Unusual Stone Implements from Australia und New Guinea," wns prepnrcd for the ··Records,'' and iu it arc dcsc1·iped two pre\•iously unrecorded types of Australian implements. Addi t ional notes were mnde on a collection of stone implement~ collected by Mr. R. Lindsay lllack, of Leeton, and on others in our -collection, for incorpo1·nt ion in a pupc1· clcnling with tht' implement• of ~•1 t'\'trn~i"" region iJ, far western New South Wales.

A small group nf l'Ol'k cngrn\'ings, in danger of being <les· tro~·ed by quarrying operations, was recorded at Dcc Why.

A number of Groote Eylandt bark paintings, and of Millin­~timbi baskets and ritual objects, eoUceted b_v the Australinn mtd Ameril':ln Anthem Lnncl Expt>clitlon, wen exhibited in the g:1Ue~·.

Minor alteratious were reconuurndctl in :o dl':l ft of pro)Joseol )egislatiou for the Protection of .\horiginul RclicH in ~ew South Wales which had been submitted to the Hon. the Prrmiet• !>;r the Anthropologicnl SoCJiety of Nen- !':outh Wales.

i

.:'\u111Crou' iuqui•·i,•s Nuttiuth' to bt' mnde about abo•·igiual a1t. p:wticulurly 1·onct'ming designs for commt'rcial appliea· tion. Among tll!' inquirc1s were Messrs. Xicholas (artist), ~lolony (an:hite<·t ) , Mansell (artist, whose panels arc installed in I ho Hiver inn. gxprcssJ Molocco B1·os. (fo1· advice rcgardin~t •lt•signs snit:1blc fnr the l! .. comtiou of a llatlway 'l'i<>ket Office ut Central ~tntion ) , thl' Rund Rank of New South \\'ales (nncl other~) tOI' <l<'!lign~ suit:lblc for J!l.'iO ('hristmas cards.

Tu th,• Xnmismatir:s s!'l ·tion :1 ~mnll numher of nccessious wn~ rcccivc<l, none bt•ing of unnsunl interest o•· value. 'rhe numct· · CHIS lniJnirir• •·er<:i,·rd we-re dtirflY for idC'ntific:ltion and l':tlun­t ion 0 f <'Oins.

]Jrtu"·(mt 11/ of l'r• (lfu'a/ion- (.J. l{ingo~lcy, l'rC'parato•·:in ­C'hnrge) .

During the ~·t':)r fifty-two mnmuwl skins and twenty bh(l -,kins were prepared, forty·RP\'C'Il birds mounted, and twenty· s,•vcn ~knlls anil sixty-four disnrticubted bones prepared. l'hotogr:IJ)hic work inrltHil'd preparntion of 175 negatives, J,!l22 p1·iuts and l!l.:i lantern $lides, and mounting of 1,24!l photogr~phs. :'IIoul<ls and casts in pla~ter, metal, and plastics, totalling 103, were pr~pnrccl. The pro\·ision of accessories fo•· the ntack Cockatoo Habitat Group im·olvcd the makin~: of large numbers o£ grasses, lca,·es, sprigs, etc., fo r the fore· :,:rOniHI, n total of J,239 items heing prepared.

The out bre:lk of i\Iuseum beetle in the galleries in>oh·ed s ronsiclcmble amount of work in fullligating and in preparing more suitnule colltainers for naphthaline in the gallery eases. 'J'Ite 1looc]ing of e;o;hibit c-a~cs ns n result of blockages in roof drains occurred on so1•eral occasions mHI the drying and neces· l!:try t·epni•· of bird and mrmmnl epecimens was a work of some magnitude.

E(1ucotion Officer-(Mrs. D. A. Graham, B.Sc., Dip.Ecl.) .

During visits of sehool classes, 2,187 children attended and receh·cd the benefit of some instruction by the Education Officer. The number was greater during the second half of the yeM th:m the first hnlf', nnd it is likely that there will hr a pro~rcssivc increase as the sel1emc for dealing with the (·hildren develops. Formerly it was the practice for children to come to the Museum for lectures at which the attendance $Omctimrs reached ahout 300. Now the children come in limited numbers, ouc <>lass at a time, and are given a. lesson ou a topic planned in relntion to t !!eio· school studies, followcil h~· :1 superdserl visit to the appropriate }>art of the Museum galleries t'uder this scheme the children receive much more indh'idual nttention and it is felt that they "'ill benefit to a. much grc:1tl.'r degree than formcdy. Tho lessons arc illustra.ted h;v lilm~, Jilm-strips, luulC?l'll slides and specimen~, and the ~hild1en :ll'c gi\'CII question 11heets dealing with the subject of the partimlar lesson. The !lll$wers to nil the questions can he obtainc<l from obscn·ation of the specimens aud labels in the gallery, and the completed sheet fo1·ms a record of the Yi~it to the .Museum.

The re~ponsc to this scheme h:ls been encouraging and visits hn,·e bcC'n Ut:lde by cla~ses from a. wide range of schools­p•·imnr~· and secondary, departmental nud n?n·d~part.mental. r n the light of the experience of other countries m tlus form of J\fn~<·um participation in school ed_n~~tion i t seems certa!n that the number of sethool l'l:lsses \'ISltlllg the Museum mll inncase rapidly.

ln these initial stages special efforts haYe hcen made to b1·ing the Museum nctivities to the notic-e of stt1dcnts a t the Teachers' Col leges. When these st udents complete their traiu­ing and enter upon te~c.h~ng, they ~ll carry a knowledge of the :1\ ailable )fuseum fac•hhcs to a wtde range of State schools.

Ac~csrions fot" the year 1949-1950 totalled:-

Yct"tcbratn ...... . ....................... .

lm·C'rtcbrata .......... . .............. . .. .

Geologicnl ...... • ........................ Ethnolog ical ................ . ........ .. . . •

J\fi~c('llaneotHI

365

I,3aa G35

2,280

442

-!,95.)

P:~pcr~ nnd arti~lcs publi~hc,l during the .rear totalled:-

R1•rordt1 of the Australian :'l[useum ............ .

AustJ·(1 1i:tn Museum blngn?.ine . ...... · .. · · · · · ·

Otlt<'r Publicntions ................... · · · · · · • •

7

19 7

'fhc l'omnwn Sl':~l ot' the Museum was hereunto affixed by Order or tlo~ l~onr•l this 271h cl11y of October, 1950.

H. B. :'IU.Tl:IEWS, President.

A. B. W .ALKOM, Dire£,tOr .

8

Appendix A.

TRUSTEES OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM AT 30th JUNE, 1950.

01'own Trustee ........ .

8/atulonJ ............ ..... .

Appointed .. ............ .

Elect-ive ..... ..... .. ... .. .

H. B. 1\!ATllEWS, B.A.

THE HoN. TllE CmEF JusTICE. 'fBE HoN. THE CoLoNIAL SEonwr.uw. TnE HoN. TUE ATI'ORNEY·GENERAL. THE HoN. THE CoLONIAL TREASURER. THE AtrDITOR·GENE:RAL. 'I'm: PRESIDEN'l' OF THE MEDICAL BOARD.

'fHB HON. THE PRES!DEN1' 0}' THE LEOJSL.\TIVE COUNCIL. TIUl CROWN SOLICITOR. T•rn SURVEYO:R·GENERAL AND CHIEF SunVEl"On. Tnl: HoN. TRE MrmsTER FOR WoRKS. THE HoN. THE ll:lrNJSTER FOR EDUCATION.

PROFESSOR A. N. ST. G. BunJUTI', M.B., B.Sc. FRANK B. SPENCER. 0. G. VIOKERY, B.E., i\I.I.E. (AUST.). WALLAOE C. WURTH, C.;M.G., LL.B. PROFESSOR A. P. ELKIN, i\I.A., Pn:.D. F. 1\IcDowELL. R. J. NonLE, M.Sc., B.Sc. (Acm.), PH.D. E. J. KENNY, :\\f.AUST. I.M.M. F. L. s. BELL, M.A., F.R.A.I. F .IMNK w. HILT •• G. A. JOITNSON. PROFESSOR P. D. F. l\IORRAY, ~l.A., D.So.

Appendix B.

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM.

SUMMARISED STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1950.

Receipts

Appropriation Account-To Treasttry Appropriations

Trustees' Account-To Statutory Endowment ................. .

Sales of Pu blica.tions .................... . Donation towards Steot.built Cabinets Other Donations .......................... . Interest ............... .................... . Postage Receipts ...................... .. L ighting Receipts ...................... .. Miscellaneous Receipts ................. .

£ s. d.

1,000 0 0 636 I 3 240 0 0

34 0 5 173 2 R 29 19 2 2 0 0 '5 17 ll

Balances as at 1st .ll(ly, 1949-Cash at Bank and in Ha,nd . . . . . . . . . .. . 518 L 4 Investments .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . .. .. . 5,413 6 3

£ s. d.

28,417 17 7

2,121 5

5,931 i 7

.£36,470 6 7

Payments.

£ s. d. £ s. d.

By Salaries, etc. . ........ ..................... 24,874 6 9 Supemnnuation Contributions ......... 1,475 0 0 Worker's Compensation Insurance ... 89 2 6 Insurance on Departmental Property 290 16 2 Maintenance, Repairs, Alterations, etc. 14 18 6 Travelling and Sulnistence Expenses ]53 IS 6 Ji'reight, Cartage an' l Packing . . . . . . . .. 51 9 2 Books, Periodicals and Papers . . . . . . . .. 448 7 3 Fees, Commissions, etc. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 0 0 J..~aundry Expenses . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 25 9 0 Postal, Telegraphic and 1' elephonic .. . 100 6 5 Stores, Provisions, Minor Plant, etc.... 834 5 6 Sundries ... .... ........ . . ..... .. ............ 9 17 10

--- --28,417 17

By Printing and Publi~hing-Magazines Purchase of Specimens . . ............... . G•tllery Reconstruction ................. . Steel built Cabinets ....................... . Stamp Frames ....... ................... . Ropa.irs to Truck ..... . . ... . .... . ..... .. . Stores a.nd Services .................... . Black Cockatoo Group ................. . Publication Sales paid to 'l'reasury .. . Pos~ge Receipts paicl to Treasury .. . Fre1gbt and Cartage Receipts paid to

Treasury ... . ..... ...... . ................ . J,ighting Receipts paid to Public

W' orks Dept ................... · ........... . Miscellaneous Expenses .... ............ ..

498 2 10 83 15 0 8:3 12 11

470 0 0 53 18 2 23 12 5 38 12 I 59 1 10 33 11 3 29 ll 0

3 12 2

2 () 0 :~ I 7 1

---- t,3Sii G 0

Balances as al 30th Jttne 1950-Cash at Bank and on'Hancl ............ 502 10 10 Lll\·estments .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. .. . .. .. 6,164 ll 5

6,667

2 3

---:; £36,470 6 j